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How Self Publishing Saved My Life

Guest post by: Ronnie Lee

Article Overview: Imagine the relief and personal satisfaction that sets in when you overcome a life's hurdle and the change in feelings that occur when a book you have toiled to write is finally published.

How Self Publishing Saved My Life

I first wanted to write a book when I was 24-years old working in Hong Kong. I carried this passion through my 20's and 30's. It wasn't until I started writing philosophy papers that I realized I could write original poems from my theories.

One day I was struck with the creative muse!

Twenty minutes later I completed six poems. I started creating websites to showcase my work. But I still felt incomplete, unworthy, and sad. My websites and my poems were not well-known, or even publicly available. Even my family and friends were quiet about my writings.

I realized that I would forever be unhappy and unsatisfied unless I could find an established authority to support my writing and help me share my work with the world. But finding an establishment was difficult. I continued to look as I continued to write.

Then in 2006 I stumbled across a website for authors who want to self-publish. That website was: Outskirts Press.

Many Authors Are Now Becoming Self-Published Authors Because...

* Traditional publishers are picky! They take your rights, require you to have a marketing platform, and take up to 2 years to publish your book.

* Self-publishing authors keep all the rights to their work

* Self-publishing authors have control over their pricing and profit

* Self-publishing authors can pursue other opportunities thanks to non-exclusive contracts

How Self-Publishing Transformed My Life

Within a few months, my first book, "The Book Of Life: Existentialism, the Will and the Truth" was published. I was ecstatic and, just like that, my life changed. For 13 years, my life was a constant struggle to be recognized and appreciated as a writer. Suddenly I had achieved a goal that had been imprinted in my mind through sorrow and pain in my wonder years.

You can imagine the relief and personal satisfaction that sets in when you overcome a life's hurdle and the change in feelings that occur when a book you have toiled to write is finally published.

What a tremendous achievement!

My book was in my hands and available for purchase throughout the world on Amazon.com. It made me feel whole, complete, worthy, revived, excited and motivated to live my life happily, fully and more inspired.

I became more prolific, too, with a renewed zest and love for writing.

Since, I Self-Published My First Book...

* I wrote and published six more books with Outskirts Press. When something this easy makes you feel so alive, you pursue it with all your heart.

* I have book videos for all my books available on YouTube. I have audio excerpts on iTunes for some, and business cards for others. My reviews have mostly been positive and some were even exceptional.

* My first six books are in the Hong Kong public library and my first book is also for sale in a major bookshop, Swindon Book Co. Ltd. in Tsim Sha Tsui, Hong Kong. The gladness in my heart grows ever stronger every day.

Without self-publishing, I would have missed one of the most delightful moments of my life -- seeing my own books on the website of a bookshop, WHSmith, where I used to buy school books as a youngster.

Would I ever have imagined my own books on display?

No. But there they are, and all I can say is, it is worth it!

I am hoping to self-publish more books and I am also planning an exhibition with other artists in Hong Kong. By helping ourselves, we artists and writers can help others in society through inspiration and motivation from our words.

Publishing makes me feel like a first-class citizen. I feel self-publishers like Outskirts Press saved my life. Without them, I would still be lost. Now self-publishing has made my life's work honorable.

I have achieved more than I could have ever expected.

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Article Tags: book publishing, how to self publish, publish your book, self publishing



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